Are You Suffering From Brain Rot?

You're bored. To pass time, you grab your phone and open TikTok. Your eyes glaze over as you swipe through a never-ending stream of short, ridiculous videos. They feature memes that have spread across the internet: Skibidi Ohio Rizz. 6-7. Tung Tung Tung Sahur. Ballerina Cappuccina.

Hours pass. You’re not really enjoying yourself, but you can’t stop scrolling. When you finally put your phone down, you feel tired and overwhelmed—like your mind is in a fog. A few minutes later, you pick up your phone and open TikTok again.

You’re bored. To pass time, you grab your phone and open TikTok. You swipe through a never-ending stream of short, silly videos. Your eyes glaze over. The videos feature memes that have spread across the internet: Skibidi Ohio Rizz. 6-7. Tung Tung Tung Sahur. Ballerina Cappuccina.

Hours pass. You’re not really having fun, but you can’t stop scrolling. Finally, you put your phone down. You feel tired and overwhelmed, like your mind is in a fog. A few minutes later, you pick up your phone and open TikTok again.

This inability to stop thinking about or watching terrible digital media is sometimes called “brain rot.” And the name is accurate! According to research, mindlessly scrolling through posts and short videos really does shrink your attention span and harm your ability to think. Read on to find out how too much screen time can reshape your brain—and learn some tricks that might make it easier to walk away from your smartphone.

Sometimes we can’t stop thinking about or watching terrible digital media. This has been called “brain rot.” And the name is accurate! Research shows the effects of mindlessly scrolling through posts and short videos. It shrinks your attention span and harms your ability to think. Too much screen time can reshape your brain. Read on to see how. Plus learn some tricks to make it easier to walk away from your smartphone.

From the school bus to the grocery store, it might feel like every place you go is full of zombified people, mindlessly glued to their phones. Don’t feel bad if your reaction is to pull out your own phone and join them. The apps on your smartphone are designed to hijack your attention.

“Big social media companies have teams of psychologists whose job it is to make their apps as addictive as possible,” says Noah Castelo, a marketing professor at the University of Alberta in Canada. Your attention is valuable, explains Castelo. “These companies make money by selling advertisements. They can sell more ads when more people spend more time on the apps.”

You see them on the school bus and in the grocery store. It seems like zombified people are everyplace you go. They’re mindlessly glued to their phones. Don’t feel bad if you sometimes feel like pulling out your own phone to join them. The apps on your smartphone are designed to steal your attention.

“Big social media companies have teams of psychologists whose job it is to make their apps as addictive as possible,” says Noah Castelo. He’s a marketing professor at the University of Alberta in Canada. Your attention is valuable, explains Castelo. “These companies make money by selling advertisements. They can sell more ads when more people spend more time on the apps.”

_{^{SOURCE: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXLER MEDICAL CENTER}}

^{_{SOURCE: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXLER MEDICAL CENTER}}

^{_{SOURCES: COMMON SENSE MEDIA, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH}}

_{^{SOURCES: COMMON SENSE MEDIA, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH}}

Driven by stress, boredom, or loneliness, more people are turning to brain rot and other time-wasting content to try to relax or pass the time. Unfortunately, this type of passive scrolling doesn’t just make those unpleasant feelings worse. It also rewires our brains, changing the way we think.

When people feel stressed, bored, or lonely, they look for ways to relax or pass the time. More people are turning to brain rot and other time-wasting content. But this type of passive scrolling makes those unpleasant feelings worse. Sadly, it also rewires our brains and changes the way we think. 

So what are some ways you can reclaim your brain? Avoid scrolling before you go to sleep. Try putting your phone on grayscale so you aren’t sucked in by the bright colors. Delete an addictive app for a few days and see how it makes you feel. These tips won’t just help fight brain rot. Less time on social media can also improve your mental health (see “Take Control of Your Social Media,” in Science World, December 16, 2024).

One recent study found that simply keeping your phone nearby harms your ability to think—even when the device is stowed in a desk or backpack. That’s because ignoring your phone is distracting. The best thing you can do is put it in a different room, freeing up your brain to focus on what you actually want to do.

So how can you reclaim your brain? Don’t scroll before you go to sleep. Put your phone on grayscale. Then the bright colors won’t suck you in. Delete an addictive app for a few days and see how you feel. These tips won’t just help fight brain rot. You’ll spend less time on social media. And that can improve your mental health (see “Take Control of Your Social Media,” in Science World, December 16, 2024).

If you keep your phone nearby, it’s harder to think. That’s what one recent study found. This is true even if the device is in a desk or backpack. It distracts you to ignore your phone. So put the phone in a different room. That’s the best thing you can do. It frees up your brain. Then you can focus on what you want to do.

^{_{SOURCES: PEW RESEARCH}}

_{^{SOURCES: PEW RESEARCH}}

At first, spending time away from your phone may feel weird or uncomfortable. But you’ll soon notice positive effects. Castelo’s team asked a group of people to reduce their smartphone use for two weeks. “Their attention spans improved significantly, and they felt less anxious and depressed,” says Castelo.

Daisy Greenwell has seen these positive effects firsthand. She co-founded a campaign in the United Kingdom that asks parents to delay giving their children smartphones until they turn 14. It’s been a big success, says Greenwell. “We’ve heard stories of kids rediscovering hobbies they’d forgotten about. There’s more talking, more creativity, more confidence. More real life. Reclaiming your focus is like getting a superpower back! Choosing to step away means taking back your time for the things that actually matter to you.”

This means spending time away from your phone. At first, that may feel weird or uncomfortable. But you’ll soon notice positive effects. Castelo’s team asked people to reduce their smartphone use for two weeks. “Their attention spans improved significantly, and they felt less anxious and depressed,” says Castelo.

Daisy Greenwell sees these positive effects firsthand. She co-founded a campaign in the United Kingdom. It asks parents to delay giving their children smartphones until age 14. It’s been a big success, says Greenwell. “We’ve heard stories of kids rediscovering hobbies they’d forgotten about. There’s more talking, more creativity, more confidence. More real life. Reclaiming your focus is like getting a superpower back! Choosing to step away means taking back your time for the things that actually matter to you.”